Protonico, the four-time Graded stakes-winning son of Giant’s Causeway, has moved to John Phillips’ Darby Dan Farm in Lexington to stand the upcoming 2018 breeding season. His fee will be $6,500 stands and nurses...

It’s funny how things can work out in the horse business. For several years, diamond mine magnate Charles Fipke kept busy at the bloodstock sales, buying blue-blooded mares for his Grade 1-winning stallion prospect Perfect Soul (Ire).

One of those mares was Silence Beauty (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), acquired in 2004 for $525,000 while in foal to Tale of the Cat. The resulting foal was Tale of Ekati, who carried Fipke’s colors to victory in the 2008 GI Wood Memorial S. and Jerome S. (G2) and 2007 Futurity S. (G2). In May, it was announced that Tale of Ekati was being retired and would stand at Darby Dan Farm in 2010, and now Fipke is shopping for mares for yet another stallion prospect.

To that end, Fipke and advisor Jack Werk went to a cool $1 million for hip 46, the stakes-placed Always Awesome (Awesome Again). The 9-year-old mare is a half to German Group 1 winner Anzillero (Ger) (Law Society). More importantly, however, is the fact her dam is a half to Urban Sea (Miswak), who has produced, among others, Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Galileo (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). Always Awesome sold out of the Adena Springs consignment.

“She’ll probably go to Tale of Ekati,” Werk confirmed after signing the ticket on the second floor of the pavilion. “It’s a sire family, and Mr. Fipke’s interest is in making stallions. She’s a great mare.”

Werk said that Fipke would support Tale of Ekati with roughly 20 to 30 mares. Fipke owns about 60 mares. Tale of Ekati will stand for a fee of $15,000.